July 1735 (3)
= Vossiche Zeitung - July 1735 = Weather this month *Becalmed in the Baltic. *Storms in the far south and India. Events Of Importte Pertaining To Recent Matters Venice *Count Petr Alekseevic Pahlen of Russia has requested an audience with the Doge of Venice? Valetta *During a visit to his ship from naval officers of the Knights of Malta, Captain Strenov was asked to remove his fleet from Valetta as soon as possible. No explanation for the request was given, but the Maltese were most insistent. Hamburg *Queen Mary of England and her entourage has reached Hamburg. Amsterdam *Joannes Adriaen, the Dutch Foreign Minister, has stated that the United Provinces shall not be hiring out troops or for that matter ships to other states. Jerusalem *The ecclesiastical authorities at the Church of Saint Anne (Roman Catholic) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Russian Orthodox) have been asked by Iraqi officers to present evidence that their funding was authorised by Tehran, and not simply funded by their respective governments. They have been warned that if they can not provide this evidence they will have to close next month. They will not be harmed, but are then expected to leave Caliphate territory immediately. Chrysanthus of Jerusalem, the Orthodox patriarch, is indignant, and during his last sermon given in July exhorted his flock to remain steadfast in trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. “If I am to be martyred, then I stand willing,” he said, “but let the Mohammedans know this, if they sow the wind they shall reap the whirlwind! These words I speak are a prophetic warning.” Brussels *The Chancellor of Spain, Cardinal Portocarrero has travelled to Brussels, the provincial capital of Spanish Flanders, and asked to be permitted to meet with the Viceregal Council to sort out a policy to govern the transfer of troops between the two states in either direction. Fez *In Fez, Spain’s mortars were unable to shoot, the gunners soon established, without risking overshoots hitting their own forces if they opened fire now upon the Moorish citadel. Instead le Comte de Noyelle occupied Fez and established four artillery batteries around the citadel. By 19th July a breach had been made on the west side, and the next day ten battalions of crack white-coated Spanish foot assaulted the position in an attempt to secure it. During the actual fighting the number of Spanish infantry who could take part was on ly about a third of this number, and they were met by Moorish matchlock-armed infantry who clearly had experience of fighting. Severe losses were not caused that day partly because of the narrowness of the battlefront. The fighting was inconclusive, but after a lull of several days Noyelle reorganised and committed his troops to a fresh assault. On 25th July casualties had started to mount but the obstinate Moors refused to give up their positions. A final attempt this month was made to carry the breach a few days later, Noyelle being in the happy position of using fresh troops against the tired and now much-reduced garrison. This time the position was carried with alacrity, and the garrison surrendered. In line with their orders the Portuguese allies of Spain then entered Fez and took the prisoners into their care. *Noyelle has found the Moorish Treasury, in so much as he found it to be a heap of rubble within the confines of the destroyed Caliph’s Palace. *Moroccan burial parties have been arranged to bury the dead outside the city walls according to Muslim burial rites, and Moors were also pressed into service as work gangs to start clearing the rubble and debris away from inside the city. *Spanish administrators have taken over the running of Fez, and are setting up a refugee camp outside the city for the displaced and are also making provision to provide food to the inhabitants. *Spanish dragoons have scouted out from around Fez and observed that there is a Moorish fortress situated in a plain at Meknes thirty-six miles southwest of Fez. They have also taken prisoner a man who claims to be Prince Yusuf, son of the Caliph, who had with him a considerable haul of coinage! Sofia *King Alexander I of the Bulgars has personally welcomed Emperor-Tsar Piotr and the Patriarch of Constantinople to Sofia and the Bulgarian Court. Queen Vessela has personally ensured that both guests are being treated well and fed royally by the household servants. It is rumoured that the Tsar wished to keep Patriarch Neophytus VI of Constantinople out of the limelight, but the Bulgarians were having none of it! Alexander expressed his willingness to speak to the two, and one of his sons, Prince Radev, was equally anxious to listen to what they have to say. The Emperor-Tsar replied that it is good to see them, and that ‘we need to understand each other.’ “I give you my word that Russia has no designs on Bulgaria,” said Tsar Piotr. “In fact I want closer ties. As Orthodox nations we should be working together. The Caliph is starting to be warlike and intelligence indicates that he is about to start a war again, first against the Spanish and Portuguese, but then he wants Constantinople back and in fact all of the former Ottoman Empire as well! Russia will not allow this and wants to work with you to stop this. All I need is your assistance by allowing Russian forces to move through your country, and your word that you will aid us against the Caliph.” The Tsar then paid King Alexander 3,750,000 roubles to help His Highness improve his forces and defences. “If you accept this then we can defeat the Caliph,” Piotr added. “Alongside Georgia we will make them reconsider their actions.” He finished by asking, “Do we have an understanding?” *The King has not yet given a reply to the proposition outlined above, but nevertheless the Tsar hosted a ball in Sofia during which Piotr praised King Alexander for being a fine monarch ruling over what really is a fine country. The ball was well attended, and amongst the guests there were several Bulgar officers of the infantry who also enjoyed the food and drink provided alongside the ballroom dancing. As the night drew to a close Piotr presented the King of the Bulgars with the Order of St. Andrew the First Called and proposed a toast to Bulgaria. His Highness the Emperor also toasted Bulgaria’s military. “To the Bulgarian Army, may they be as speedy as an eagle, as strong as a lion, and may their enemies know the meaning of fear!” *The Tsar and company then departed Sofia and are thought to be heading to the court of the King of Georgia to ask for an audience with him. Suo *A large Shantung Chinese field army has arrived outside the Spanish stronghold of Suo on the island of Formosa. The garrison was not surprised, having been forewarned by American Indian scouts a week before this hostile army arrived. The army really is impressive - numbering 89,000 infantry, 23,000 cavalry, 12 cannon as well as rocketeers and a large baggage trayne. Stockholm *Again speaking before the Swedish Riksdag, King Charles XIII declared this: “I am deeply troubled at recent anonymous attempts to blacken my father’s name, and ferment discord within the Triple Kingdoms. One day I shall rule those realms as well as Sweden-Norway, and such tactics as discrediting my father in such a manner is the act of a coward and blackguard. Both he and I can guess who is the author of these outrageous falsehoods, and one day they will be called to account. I know to many we are seen as an insular people, not interested in matters of import to the rest of Europe, but frankly Europe is in a mess, divided by greed, envoy and idolatry. What Europe needs is strong leadership and direction, not a bunch of bleating sheep who are only interested in lining their own pockets. You will know that my beloved queen is with child, and that if Almighty God is so kind he will grant us a healthy child. All of us, king or commoner know the joy of children and our duty towards them: To protect them from all harm, to feed and clothe them, not merely for ourselves but for our children, all of them, for they are Sweden’s future. God bless you all, God bless Sweden-Norway.” *King Charles and his son Kronprinz Karl Henrik James Christian have taken tea with Christian von Blicker, Duke of Jutland who seemed somewhat uncomfortable given the informality of the occasion. Also present were Frederick von Vorbeck who found Duke Christian’s stiffness amusing, and said as much, and the Emperor’s envoy Baron George Karl Ziegler. The casual conversation about European affairs progressed somewhat uneasily when Charles turned to Ambassador von Vorbeck and remarked, “Please tell my beloved father that I stand with him in seeking to discover who is responsible for these scurrilous accusations, they are an affront to the dignity of the House of Stuart and are not to be tolerated.” The uneasiness perhaps stemmed from what is rumoured to be Baron George’s opinion that the King was indirectly accusing the Emperor of being behind the said gossip. Vienna *The Duke of Clarence one evening took a break from his studies at the VMI and visited Her Highness Archduchess Maria Theresa, presenting her with a framed map of the city of London on which is marked all the government offices and royal palaces, including Clarence House. The various sites are picked out in small diamonds. *The Austrian Government via the good offices of Prince Metternich has submitted to the Diet of Austria in Vienna (and to that of Bohemia in Prague) a request to approve temporary tax reductions. The motion is that until the end of 1736 taxes on the nobility be reduced to 3.5%, on the Church to 8.5%, and on commoners to 8% (current rates being 5%, 10% and 9% respectively). In both houses the motion was passed without any serious contention except that members sympathetic to the Roman Catholic Church pointed out that it was an affront that the clergy paid the highest tax rates in the land. *In Vienna, Count Gundaker Stahremburg announced on behalf of Her Majesty the construction of expanded port facilities at Trieste, “To further enhance the city’s mercantile capacity and to serve the prosperity of Austria as a whole. Also a new trade mission in that city will promote the export of our goods and manufactures throughout the Mediterranean.” There is a no-doubt unfounded rumour floating about that not all trade deals done at Trieste are legitimate. Florence *The Diet of Tuscany has been dismissed for a couple of months off to ensure that the wine and olive harvests are properly supervised. A modest feast was held at the Palazzo Vecchio to mark the success of the year thus far! At this event Trade Minister Francesco Crispi revealed that a fund of 100,000 lira had been released to Tuscan merchants currently experiencing hardship caused by the blockade of North and West African coasts. “This money can be used by traders to help improve competitiveness and continue to stimulate trade and offset any losses,” he explained. *At the royal palace His Majesty King Cosimo of Italy had as his guests several dozen young Tuscan noblemen who had finished being educated at finishing school. Upon being offered commissions in the Army, Navy, or Government, or the opportunity to join the Church or return to their families, to a man they drew swords and lifted them high. Each and every man pledged his desire to take a commission in a cavalry regiment, and so it was agreed by His Majesty with many a ‘bravo!’ and ‘hurrah!’ to be heard. *On Friday 31st July a celebration was held across Tuscany in honour of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, patron saint of soldiers, as prayers were offered for those brave Spanish and Portuguese now putting the heathen Mohammedans to the sword in Morocco. Versailles *On behalf of the King of France his chancellor le Duc de Brissac has declared that His Most Christian Majesty recognises as signed and sealed ‘The Treaty of Friendship’ with the Duke of Savoy-Piedmont. Turin *Vittirui Amedeo, the grandson of the Duke of Savoy, has begun to learn German from a Jesuit priest. Allowing a Jesuit to teach this young man is being seen as an indication that Duke Victor Amadeus II continues to have faith in the Society of Jesus and indeed in Holy Mother Church. Rome *Duke Ferdinando di Tuscany-Modena has marked the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene on 22nd July by inviting Cardinal Mazzuchelli to the Pantheon to view the work undertaken to remove all previous references to pagan beliefs, and for him to take custody of the newly refurbished church on behalf of the ‘pious and true people of Tuscany’. His Eminence was glad to take the keys to this cathedral, and grinning widely congratulated Duke Ferdinando, stating that there is much rejoicing over a sinner who repents. That evening a modest feast was laid on in the Pantheon at which Ferdinando publicly thanked Mazzuchelli for ‘ridding Rome of that ghastly man Sher Shah Suri’. He added that Tuscany is more than willing to turn the ex-embassy building into a Christian church ‘to ride the Eternal City of such an obnoxious presence.’ Hanover *Emperor Wilhelm, Prince of Hanover has gotten to know the Prussian officers of his 11th and 12th Infantry Divisions in Hanover, having made visits to their parade ground after which he invited the gentlemen to a dinner at his palace where they also became acquainted with Hanoverian officers of General James Keith’s field army. Budapest *King Joseph of Spain, Hungary & Croatia has addressed the Hungarian Diet while his wife Queen Amalia continued to entertain his cornation guests. His Majesty said this: “A proposal was contained in a letter sent to Prince Metternich this month, a compromise that although not ideal from my point of view, as I am the legitimate King of Croatia, should allow friendly relations to be restored with Austria despite the content of Prince Metternich’s intercepted letter of September 1734, addressed to the Holy Roman Emperor”. Some gentlemen were concerned to learn that private letters were being intercepted... Delhi *By Imperial Decree the Great Moghul of India Shukaat Ali has increased taxation against his commoners from 7% to 10%. Tehran *Mahmoud Osman, the last known male survivor of the House of Osman, the Ottoman sultans line, has been married to Princess Roxanna of the Caliph’s family. *Caliph Timur, Shah of Persia & High Prince of the Uzbeks, has made this announcement: “It looks as if the Sultan of the Moors has perished in the fires of Hell. The last judgement of Allah has been brought upon his soul. I mourn the death of an Islamic leader, but let this be a lesson to us all, that we should follow the teachings of Allah and not bring the Faith of Islam into shame.” “It is my real hope that the death of the Sultan will bring closure to the current war and that a new, more genuine and honourable peace can be achieved. I have asked my son to travel to Fez to help the people of Morocco and have requested that Spain and Portugal allow help in the form of grain through their blockade so the people may be saved from further hardship.” People being Much Admired by the Best in Société *Portugal *Russia *Sweden *France *Denmark *United Kingdom *Spain *Austria *Poland *Serbia Shipping Lists: Being a Reporte on Knowne Shipping Movements *Four Portuguese liners involved in the ivory and tobacco trades have been reported missing in southern African waters. *The Moghul First Fleet (18 ship of the line, 2o cruisers) and Second Fleeet (19 cruisers) have sailed to the Caliphate naval stronghold of Smyrna, having set sail from Tripoli and Andros respectively. *A squadron of five Russianflagged corvettes slowly past the island of Andros. It appeared as if one of their ships was having trouble with its sails, which could explain why they nearly had to make landfall on Caliphate territory! In any case, the squadron sailed away without incident. *Spain??s naval blockades of Algiers, Tunis and Tangier have ended. Lloyds Lists: Being a Reporte on Knowne Shipping Losses from Causes Unknowne or Knowne *None. Ambassadorial Appointments *Sent by Savoy to Spain, Barone Alighieri Farnese; to Austria, Signore Ludovico Fiore; and to Genoa, Signore Ascanio Chellini. Trade Missions Opened *By the Americas Republic in Regensburg. *By Austria in Trieste. Automatically parsed by LGDRParser v1.0 Category:Game 3